Top 5 Best Webcams for Chromebooks (A Buyer’s Guide) – 2020

I’ve arranged and reviewed the top 3 best USB webcams for Chromebooks.

As you probably know, Chromebooks don’t have the best compatibility with external devices- including webcams.

These webcams have worked for me personally on an Acer CB3-131 Chromebook, but I’ve read that some other laptops are spotty. It’s best to double-check that they work on your specific laptop before you buy it.

Use this as a detailed buyer’s guide to get some information to help you decide. But it’s up to you to make the final decision. This guide was written to make it easier for you choose the absolute best Chromebook-compatible webcam.

These webcams are chosen based on dozens of reviews around the web and my personal experience with them. No matter which one you choose, you’ll pick a winner. The trick is to choose one that fits your particular purpose.

Anyway, enough of the obligatory boring intro you see everywhere.

Let’s get started.

Last updated: 1/22/20. This list of webcams is constantly updated for compatibility with Chrome OS.

Best Webcam #1: Logitech HD Webcam C310

The Logitech C310 offers excellent 720p HD video recordings for Skype and Google Hangouts that works with Chrome OS. And it’s pretty affordable.

The C310 by Logitech is one of the most popular and best-selling webcams on Amazon. And for good reason.

It offers a full 720p video output along with 5MP snapshots for crystal clear images. It’s fully compatible with Windows and Chrome OS.

This is a popular webcam for Let’s Players (people who play video games on YouTube) and live streamers.

The C310 has a wide-angle lens so it’ll pick up more than just your face. It’ll also get your body, your room, and the background.

This could be good or bad depending on what you need, but it’s easy to adjust and it’s nice to have the option for a wide picture.

The video quality is amazing. It has autofocus which seems to kick in when you need it.

Some other webcams will stutter or pause for a bit before they focus on something (like if you’re holding an object in front of you).

But the C310 autofocuses right away. It works perfectly and focuses within seconds on exactly what you want it to.

The colors pop in the output and the video is silky smooth. Logitech has a “fluid crystal technology” which is advertised to give you “smooth, fluid video.” And it’s true.

When I upgraded to this camera (from the built-in one on my Chromebook), my friend noticed right away.

She said it’s like watching a movie rather than having it skip every few seconds. She also always thought my walls were tan until I used the C310, and she saw they were actually white. The color clarity is spot-on. And the video doesn’t lag or stutter. This means no more stuttering video calls (provided your connection is fast enough).

It also has Logitech’s RightLight 2 technology which automatically makes your image better even in poor lighting. So if your room dark, it’ll automatically brighten up your photos and videos so you’re clear and crisp.

Besides that, it also has a built-in microphone that blows the one built into my Chromebook (Acer CB3-131-C3SZ) out of the water. The mic in this webcam is good enough to record quality audio from if you don’t have a dedicated standalone microphone. It even has automatic noise reduction so you sound clear to the person you’re video calling or chatting with.

The hardware is also quality and top-notch. Although it feels very plasticky and somewhat cheap, it holds up very well. It comes with an L-clip that mounts easily to your Chromebook’s monitor. It works universally so it doesn’t matter if you have a big or small, thick or thin screen.

It’s sleek and flat so it looks good with pretty much any setup. The only complaint I have is that it only comes in a charcoal black.

My Chromebook is moonstone white, so to contrast with the black. But it has a 5-foot cable so you have plenty of room to move it around if you don’t want to attach it to your laptop. It can even stand by itself on your desk.

Another thing I really like about the C310 is the LED light. Sure, most Chromebooks (and laptops in general) have lights now to show you that they’re working. But the green LED on this cam looks awesome and it doesn’t blind you when you look into it.

That’s one thing I hate about a lot of laptops.

The light is tiny and is built right next to the camera so that when you look into it, you get that afterimage burnt into your vision which is annoying.

But the light on the C310 just glows silently to let you know it’s working and it doesn’t blind you.

The Logitech C310 is one of the best webcams that’s compatible with Chromebooks on the market. It comes with a 24-month warranty and will deliver awesome video and images.

Note that Logitech provides some software for this camera, but it’s built for Windows. Although basic functions of the webcam will probably work for Chromebooks, not all functions may work.

I’ve read that some models work and others are spotty. It’s best to do your own research before you make the purchase.

PROSCONS

Full HD 720p video

Noise-cancelling microphone

Superb video quality

5MP camera

Affordable

RightLight 2 technology for low-light settings

Generous 5-foot cable

Universal mount to any screen or for any desk

Suitable for casual users or light streamers

Caps at 720p, no 1080p quality

Mount feels plasticy and cheap

Dedicated professionals will want something more powerful

Update: This is still one of the most popular cams for streaming, video chatting, and business conferences in 2020. The picture quality to price is amazing and makes this an excellent value for a budget webcam.

Best Webcam #2: Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920

The C920 is the most popular webcam for those who want superb video quality. It’s perfect for streamers and professionals.

Okay, up next is another webcam by Logitech.

The C920 is one of the best-selling webcams in the world. That’s how good it is.

It’s used by professional gamers and streamers (like the ones you see broadcast on Twitch) because of its quality and reliability.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a gamer or not, the point is that the C920 is probably the best webcam you can buy.

Whether you want crystal clear video calls on Skype or Google Hangouts, or maybe conference calls over TeamViewer, or even just audio chatting on any platform, this webcam has you covered.

It comes with full HD 1080p video calling with Skype and a full 720p HD for other platforms.

It can record, broadcast, and stream in a full 1080p resolution. It uses an H.264 video compression technology, which is basically the preferred standard for quality video. It allows for super fast uploads because it reduces the time needed to compress since it does recording simultaneously. This will let you stream and upload with less resource usage from your computer.

If you want to take pictures, there’s also a 5-element autofocus technology to capture amazing images.

As for audio, it has automatic noise reduction with dual stereo microphones. This camera can pick up noise from left and right sides of your room.

So if you’re speaking while facing the left, your listener(s) will also hear it from their left speaker. The noise reduction is amazing and reduces background noise and only focuses on your voice.

It also has an automatic low-light correction similar to the C310, but it’s improved. You can use this webcam in a dark room and settings and your video calls or streams will still be clear.

Another feature (and probably the best) is the ability for it to track your face and motion. The C920 has face detection so it knows where to focus, and it can detect motion in case you move and it’ll autofocus. If you hold an object in front of it, it’ll autofocus on it right away. It’s very innovative technology that works automagically.

If you plan to use this webcam for your Chromebook, it’s got you covered. It’s actually compatible with Chrome OS, Windows 7/8/10, Mac OS 10.6+, Android 5+, or pretty much any USB port. It also works in USB video device class (UVC) mode.

The mount is also fully tiltable, adjustable, and pivotable so you can aim it anywhere It mounts on your monitor, laptop, or standalone on your desk. It doesn’t have that plasticky cheap feeling the C310 does, so there’s definitely an improvement. It’s actually pretty heavy for the weight.

Again, it only comes in black, so it doesn’t match my white laptop. But that’s only a minor gripe. It’s also universal so it fits anything.

Whether you’re chatting over Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook, streaming, making a Let’s Play, or recording a video, the C920 is your best bet.

With full HD recordings, it’ll pick up the smallest details for your videos. The H.264 technology allows for super quick uploads. The autofocus is amazing. The audio is stereo and crisp. The HD lens won’t get any better. I really can’t recommend a better webcam than this. It’s the best webcam for Chromebooks in my opinion.

Overall, this is the best webcam I can recommend and it earns my personal choice award. So, if you want the best webcam that actually works with Chrome OS guaranteed, get the Logitech C920.

Sure, there are more expensive options, but they’re not really necessary unless you’re a studio professional. The C920 will work for the majority of laptop users and offers the best bang for the buck while still being affordable.

Best webcam #3: eStorees USB HD 720p with LED Night Lighting

The eStorees is a cheap webcam that offers a lot of the functions expensive versions have. It can even record in complete darkness. It’s perfect for casual users.

Okay, you’ve probably never heard of this brand and it just sounds like unbranded, generic product from overseas.

This is actually one of my first budget webcams and it didn’t disappoint.

Of course, I no longer use it now, but back then, this camera did the job for a very affordable price.

It has some of the same features as the Logitech C310. It’s capable of recording in 720p with a glass lens. The lens is actually pretty good quality and is similar to the C920. It’s composed of 5 layers, according to the product description.

The video quality is excellent. It’s silky smooth, clear, and crisp. It’s perfect for Skype, Hangouts, Facebook, or whatever other clients you use.

You could use it for streaming as well, but it’s not ideal, which brings me to the next point.

The autofocus on this webcam is a little off. It tries to focus on you initially, then it zooms out so it blurs, then it zooms back in.

It’s nothing major, but it does take a few seconds to learn what to focus on. If you hold something in front of it and it’ll focus on it no problem. It seems you need to be close to it for it autofocus quickly.

Other than that, it’ll eventually focus and go back to the HD recording. If you’re not going to be presenting anything and it’s really just your face on the screen, then it doesn’t matter.

This webcam is perfect for basic usage and works with Chromebooks. It does have face and motion tracking as well that works pretty well. It’ll track your face and then try to autofocus on it. Give a few seconds and it’ll become crystal clear.

The audio quality is also superb. It’s not as good as the C310 because it’s very sensitive. You may think that’s good, but it’ll pick up anything within 10 meters of it. The noise canceling works, but it’s not perfect. If there’s a car going by or your phone goes off, it’ll pick it up.

Note that this can go both ways. If you’re just using it casually or you actually want it to pick up background noise, then this would be a good choice. I don’t see the need to filter out noise if you’re just using it for basic video/audio chatting.

The best part about this camera is the night light feature. It actually has 4 bright LEDs built into it so you can use it at night or dim locations. The light isn’t blinding, but it’s bright. It’ll light you up so you can make video calls even in the dark. Although this is a strange feature, I can see it helping people who just don’t have proper lighting or want to use their Chromebook in the dark.

It’s one of the few webcams that have a built-in light. And it’s awesome.

Another nice feature is the mount. It’s fully rotatable to 360-degrees so you can position it exactly how you want it. It can be pivoted, tilted, and rotated. You can mount it to your monitor, Chromebook, or place it on your desk. It comes with a sturdy clip that’s spring-operated and the camera itself is on a pivot.

Overall, this is an affordable and cheap webcam for Chromebooks. If you just want something basic, this works and offers amazing value for the price. It doesn’t require any drivers and it should work with Chrome OS.

You should still do your own research before buying it. I found that it works on pretty much all Acer Chromebooks I’ve tried it on, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work on another brand (or all others, for that matter). It should work with pretty much all Chromebooks.

In the world of webcams, Logitech is the leader. Hands down. So it only makes sense that so many different variations all belong to Logitech.

And they’re all superior quality compared to the most of the rest. (I chose the one eStorees one because it really does offer good quality even if it’s not as popular, and it matches Logitech in quality in some aspects.)

Anyway, the C615 webcam is another winner for Chromebooks. It features a full 1080p video capture with sharp and crisp clarity like you’d expect (or should by now). If you’re using it for Hangouts, Skype, FaceTime, or another platform, you can expect fluid 720p HD video.

Note: Be sure to take note that recording video is one thing and streaming yourself in a video call on Skype, Hangouts, FaceTime, or whatever else is another thing. You’ll be able to record a video in 1080p but only be able to chat in a video call at 720p.

The special feature about this one is that it has a full 360-degree rotating camera just like the eStorees version above. It allows you to pivot the camera in any direction so you don’t have to remount it.

It’s also very portable- it offers a folding mount so you can take it with you if you’re mobile. I mean, if you’re using a Chromebook laptop, you’re probably mobile. The C615 allows you to carry it with you because of its compact size. It’s probably the best portable webcam on the market.

The mount works with tripods and clips to any monitor or laptop screen. One thing you should note though is that your screen should be about only an inch thick. If it’s any thicker, it may not clip correctly. This shouldn’t be a problem if you’re using a Chromebook, but if you plan to clip to another screen, it can’t be too thick. This is important if you have an older display because they had thick edges and this won’t snap on it.

Just like the other models on this list, the C615 has the premium autofocus features. This one had no issues focusing and did it quickly. It also has face tracking and motion detection so it always focuses quickly and on the right object.

I didn’t have any issue getting it focus on an object in front of it. It also has the auto light correction so it works in dim areas, though I rarely use this myself.

If you’re into taking photos with it, the 8MP camera works very well. The pictures are a clear, crisp, and a very good resolution. And it also comes with software to improve the quality of your recordings (though it may not work with Chrome OS).

It also has a built-in microphone. It’s just a single, mono channel but it offers decent sound input. It’s not as premium as the C920, but it works. It has background noise canceling and works well. If you’re on the go, you probably don’t need a super premium sound setup anyway. You’re just looking to make quick calls here and there rather than having a whole streaming setup to play video games. Right?

The only gripe I had with the C615 is the USB cord. You’ll probably want to use the extra one they include because it won’t reach without you having to give it a tug. They probably give you the option of having both cords in case you decide to use this on a desktop and need a longer cord. But the short one is just too short. I suggest using extra one instead.

Other than that, the C615 really sits in the middle between the C310 and C920. It offers better picture quality, sound quality, and portability over the C310, but doesn’t make it break the bank. It’s still affordable and perfect for those who just want a professional webcam to video chat, call, or even stream with. It’s the Goldilocks webcam.

And it works with Chrome OS. There is software included, but it’s exclusive to Windows. You can still use it just fine without the software. I didn’t find it too useful myself anyway.

PROSCONS

Offers the most portability in a webcam with a fold up mount

Fits in your bag or laptop case (with a big enough pocket)

Small and compact size for travel

Outputs full HD 720p video in Skype or Google Hangouts

Records in 1080p

Autofocus works in a pinch with minimal lag

Face and motion detection

8MP camera

Offers a universal mount, but only works on screens less than an inch thick

Low-light correction

Suitable for those who are mobile and need something portable

USB cord is too short (but a longer one is provided)

Doesn’t stream in 1080p

No stereo input, only mono microphone input

The mount only works on screens less than an inch thick or else it’ll have trouble getting a grip

Best webcam #5: Logitech C910 HD Pro Webcam

The C910 is a beast of a webcam. It offers full HD recordings, a super smooth autofocus, and a razor-sharp picture quality.

And the very last one…can you guess who makes it?

(It’s pretty obvious if you read the title.)

The C910 by Logitech is one of the most advanced webcams on the planet. It’s their premium flagship model and has all the features for professional recordings.

I’m talking like full-time streamers, vloggers, and business conferences.

If you’re just trying to get the best webcam for Skype or Hangouts, I’d suggest going for a cheaper alternative. This webcam is pretty much overkill for just basic video chatting. Unless you have the cash to dump.

The C910 features full 1080p video recording similar to the C920 and C615. It also does video calling in HD 720p with 1-click uploads to Facebook and YouTube. This specific model has Logitech’s Fluid Crystal Technology, which does a bunch of neat things.

First of all, it’ll render your recordings in a super smooth transition that’s almost like real life. It’s also made to eliminate stuttering and lag when it autofocuses and also gives richer colors that are vivid and clear sound.

It sports a 5MP HD sensor with a Carl Zeiss lens. This is expensive stuff. It offers a glass lens that’s almost invisible and has crystal clarity. It’s the best of the best.

The recording quality is almost like virtual reality. You’ll look super clear and crisp with amazing, razor crystal clear quality. It’s hard to describe. This camera will pick up the slightest details on you.

The autofocus works just like the C920 and focuses instantly on exactly where you want it to- your face, your presentation, your Coca-Cola to show your fans what you’re drinking. It’s very intelligent. It works a little faster than the C920 and spends less time focusing so there’s less focus blur when it’s autofocusing.

It also has their face tracking software that works well for supporting operating systems. Chrome OS may or may not work with this. Regardless, it works even without it and doesn’t really make a huge difference. Face tracking isn’t necessary when the camera already knows where to focus.

It works in low light just like the rest of the Logitech webcams with their proprietary RightLight technology. I didn’t find it to work any better or worse in dark settings. The light correction works very well and doesn’t distort the picture.

For images, it takes 10MP photos that look like you took them from an actual DSLR camera. The images are superb. If you brought this outside into nature and took a generic nature scene picture, you couldn’t tell it was done by a webcam. This resolution beats out the many competitors that only go up to 8MP.

It also has stereo microphone input so your listener can hear you in crisp HD-quality stereo sound. If you talk to the left, your audience will hear from the left speaker. If you talk to the right, they’ll hear from the right speaker.

It’s premium quality sound. The noise canceling is spot-on and works at filtering out the background noise. This particular webcam is pretty sensitive to sound. Although it has the noise filter, I found that it does pick up a lot more sound than the C920.

Note: You should know that if the noise is close to you, it’ll pick it up. Or if it’s too loud. It’ll pick up your keyboard, thumps, bumps, and other things. But other sounds like fans, cars, and other people (given that they’re far enough or quite enough) will be filtered out.

The mount is universal and will work on just about any monitor or surface. It also feels very sturdy, unlike the other Logitech webcams. I don’t mount it on my computer because it’s pretty big unlike the C310 (this one also only comes in black), so I just place it on my desk to record.

Now that I’m done talking about the good things, let’s talk about some issues I had with it.

I had two issues with the C920. Note that I use this both on my Acer Chromebook and my Windows desktop.

The first is that it doesn’t use H.264 encoding. This places a lot more stress on CPU and takes more time to process recordings.

On the Windows computer, this is okay.

On the Chromebook, it lags it pretty bad.

The Chromebook isn’t built for resource hungry applications (in this case a recording) and slows it down. If you have a powerful Chromebook, you could get away with it. If not, it could lag it to the point where it’ll be unusable. Be forewarned about performance issues.

But come on. The “lower-tier” C920 had H.264, why not this? This makes uploads and recording take much more time to process.

The second issue is that it doesn’t always work. Chrome OS is very sketchy, unstable, or incompatible with a lot of third-party anything- apps, software, and hardware.

Sometimes when I plug this badboy in, the Chromebook won’t detect the webcam. I have to unplug it and try again or restart the laptop for it to work. I’m not exactly sure why it is, but it can get annoying.

But then again, when it works, the quality is amazing even if it stutters here and there. Because of the problems getting it to work well on Chrome OS, I use this only on my desktop now.

However, if you have a powerful laptop and you can run it, you may consider the C910. It’s a beast of a webcam. Only a few can tame it.

Update: This is still one of the best and most professional webcams you can buy in 2020. Only recommend for enthusiasts and professionals who take video quality and sound seriously. This thing ain’t messing around!

PROSCONS

Full HD streaming in 720p for Skype or Hangouts

Records in 1080p glory

Takes 10MP razor-sharp pictures

5MP HD sensor with Carl Zeiss glass lens

Fastest autofocus and smooth transition

Facial recognition and motion detection

RightLight technology for low-light environments

Dual microphones with noise-canceling technology

Stereo sound input

Picks up the smallest details at whatever it’s focused on

Universal mount that pivots and tilts and attaches to any monitor or leave it on your desk

Suitable for professional streamers, business meetings, and other professional uses

Not a cheap option

Overkill for many users

Lacks H.264 encoding

Requires a powerful laptop or desktop to run HD video

Works intermittently with Chrome OS- requires a restart and a powerful Chromebook

Video chatting on a Chromebook

There are two major platforms that are fully compatible with Chrome OS and suitable for video calling.

Skype

Skype is the king of video calling and it works perfectly with any Chromebook.

All you need to do is use their web-based version.

They do have an app on the Chrome Web Store, but users have told me it doesn’t work well and all it does is show a blank page. I’m assuming it just redirects the user to their browser version.

All you need to do is go to web.skype.com and sign in to your account. From there, you’ll see your contacts which you can start a conversation with. You can also send text messages, audio calls, and group calls.

It’s slightly slimmed-down compared to the full-blown Windows version, but you do get everything you need and probably won’t be using very specific features anyway.

Google Hangouts

This is Skype’s biggest competitor in my opinion and is even more compatible with more devices compared to Skype.

All you need is a Google Account to get it going.

Just log in to your account and go to hangouts.google.com and from there you can send messages, group chat (with over a hundred other people), video chat, text, and audio chat. It covers all the basics of what you need and is powered by Google. It works on nearly any device running any OS- Windows, Windows Phone, iOS, macOS, Android, Chrome OS, Linux, and of course, Chromebooks.

If you can’t get Skype working or you want to try something new, try Hangouts.

Skype or Google Hangouts?

I found that the call audio quality to be a little more spotty than Skype, but the picture quality seems crisper. Try them both out and see which platform works better for your purposes.

Then again, a lot more people like Skype because of its ease of use and already have an account so it’s a lot more omnipresent. But then again, everyone with a Google Account automatically has a Hangouts account but they have no idea what Hangouts is in the first place.

Multiple webcams on a Chromebook

If you want to use the built-in one and a USB-powered webcam simultaneously on your laptop, you’ll be able to do that soon.

There’s an update in the works which will allow you to switch between different cameras (kind of like how you can switch between front and rear cameras on your smartphone). This will let you choose whether you want to use the built-in one, a separate one, or possibly choose between multiple webcams plugged into the same Chromebook.

Concluding thoughts

These are the top 5 best webcams for Chromebooks (or Chrome OS) that I’ve found online based on reviews and personal experience.

I haven’t actually owned all of these, but a few of them I had the pleasure of demo-ing at a friend’s house who actually does live streaming professionally.

I borrowed a few of them since I have no reason to purchase a professional webcam for myself so I could write these reviews.

The world of this stuff goes deep. It’s amazing how expensive and super professional these things can get with all the latest and nifty little features you can imagine. It’s seriously crazy when you go beyond the basics.

Again, not all of these are guaranteed to fully work with your particular Chromebook. You should do more research or ask a question on a forum or the product page on Amazon to see if you can get a response. But they should work and be compatible with the majority of Chromebooks.

If you have any other awesome webcams to add to the list, just leave a comment below and I’ll try to get my hands on it to check it out. And if you’ve found this buyer’s guide to be helpful, please let me know as well and consider telling a friend =].

About Andy Z.

Andy is a casual-hardcore Chrome OS fan and contributes to the site regularly. He likes computers, tech, sports cars, videogames, and of course, Chromebooks. Thinker. Introvert. Geek. You can find him on Twitter (@platytech), or send him an email (platy@platypusplatypus.com).

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